Southwest Early College Campus football head coach Roger Franks is using the team’s opening-week, Interscholastic League forfeit loss to Lincoln Prep as a teaching tool for life.

Although he couldn’t comment on the forfeit, Franks said the Indians (0-1 overall, 0-1 in IL) have put last week’s setback behind them.

“I think when things like that happen nothing but good things are in the making,” Franks said. “This is a good life lesson these young men are learning. One thing they are learning about is accountability and responsibility. The main thing is you do right even when nobody is watching.

“I think that’s the thing in learning how to be a better person and having high character; not worrying about what other programs and other people are doing. As long as we are doing the right thing over here, that is all that matters with these young men.”

The Indians are back in action Friday on the road at Holden.

Meanwhile, Lincoln Prep (1-0, 1-0) stands to make their season debut with a Thursday night IL game against host East (0-1, 0-0) at Interscholastic League Stadium. The Blue Tigers’ forfeit win did not sit well for head coach Henry Newell’s defending league champion team.

“It was very tough for my older players not to play,” Newell said. “They were getting a little stale in practice but now with our first game Thursday versus East they are foaming at the mouth to play.”

The Bears come off a 42-6 loss at West Platte looking to knock off a team that beat them by 45 points a season ago.

“We’ll go into this game thinking we can win,” East head coach Greg Smith said. “Lincoln’s going to be tough, but I think we should be all right.”

In other IL news, Central will try to shake off the disappointment of a 37-0 loss to Hogan Prep to open the season. The Blue Eagles (0-1, 0-0) host Afrikan Centered College Prep on Saturday at IL Stadium.

ACCP (0-1, 0-1) lost to Northeast (1-0, 1-0) 28-0 to kick off the year.

“We took a loss from a very good, Hogan team,” Central head coach Mark Faubion said. “We have a lot of polish to do in order to move the ball against some pretty tough defenses that we will play against.”

Faubion added the Blue Eagles took a renewed approach to practice this week.

“We are practicing harder, and seem to be having a better sense of focus at practice,” he said. “We need to believe in ourselves that we can play with the best teams out there.”